Upholstered articles of furniture



July 31, 1962 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 P. F. W. JbRGENSEN UPHOLSTEREDARTICLES OF FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: Ru] T'r'ederik July 31,1962 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 P. F. w. JGRGENSEN 3,047,338

UPI-IOLSTERED ARTICLES OF FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. 700/{Kuhn/K J'ryens'eg July 31, 1962 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 P. F. w. JORGENSEN3,047,338

UPHOLSTERED ARTICLES OF FURNITURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR; r flaw/e 41y 3,047,338 UPHOLSTERED ARTTCLES h FURNITURE Poul Frederik WibergJiirgensen, 27 Frodesgade, Esbjerg, Denmark Filed Feb. 24, 1959, Ser.No. 794,924 Claims priority, application Denmark Feb. 24, 1953 7 Claims.Ci. Bi -357) This invention relates to upholstered articles of furnitureprovided with a seat and a back such as arm chairs and sofas.

Most arm chairs and other upholstered articles of furniture have provedto possess the quality that while some persons feel comfortable in thearm chair and get the necessary support Where this is required, otherpersons rest less comfortably in the same chair because they do not getthe same effective support of the necessary parts of the body as thefirst mentioned category of persons.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arm chair or otherupholstered article of furniture provided with a seat and a back, whichfurniture is adjustable in adaption to different persons so that thenumber of persons finding rest and support in the same arm chair isvirtually increased.

A further object of the invention is to provide an upholstered articleof furniture having a seat and a back, by which the latter comprises atleast two side frame members and a back support or back cushion made asa separate upholstered unit and at its upper part being pivotablyconnected to said side frame members while the lower end of said backsupport is adjustable in the transverse direction of the back.

Hereby is obtained that the back support can be ad justed in thelongitudinal direction of the seat and thereby the length of the seatmay be adapted to the length of the thighs of the legs of the personswho are going to sit in the article of furniture. This is of greatimportance since it has shown up that hereby is obtained that all theparts of a body which ought to be supported for obtaining the bestpossible rest and support in an arm chair or the like, is given thenecessary support which is not possible, however, if the thighs of thelegs are essentially shorter or longer than the length of the seat.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description of some embodiments of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings- FIG. 1 is a perspective view partly insection of an arm chair embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a fractional vertical sectional View of the chair frame of thearm chair shown in FIG. 1, without upholstering, and showing only theparts of the frame connected to the back of the chair,

FIG. 3 is a rear View of the chair frame shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fractional sectional view of the lower part of aframe of a back support, taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view partly in section of an adjustment rod,

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of an adjustment fitting, and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view correspondingto a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 in FIG. 3, but showing afurther embodiment of the connection between a side frame member and theupper part of a back support.

The arm chair shown in FIG. 1 comprises an upholstered seat 10,upholstered arm rests 12 and a back combined by an upper neck cushion14, side members 16 Federated July 31, 1962 and a back support or backcushion 18 arranged between the side members 16 and below the neckcushion 14.

All stated parts of the chair are upholstered. In the embodiment shown,the seat 10 and the back support 18 are upholstered by means of no-sagsprings 20, a layer of foam rubber or the like 22 and a cover 24, thearm rests and the side members 16 by means of foam rubber or the likecovered by a cover, and the neck cushion 14 by means of a piece ofhessian 26, covered by for example crimpy wool 28 again covered by alayer 30 of foam rubber covered by a cover 32.

The back support 18 is made as a separate unit which is upholsteredindependent of the further parts of the chair. Not before the neckcushion 14, the side members 16 and at least the rearmost part of theseat 10 having been upholstered, the upholstered back support 18 is inthe manner described below arranged in the opening defined by andbetween the neck cushion 14, the side members 16 and the seat 10.

The above stated upholstery is arranged upon a chair frame which isshown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The back frame comprises two side frame members 34, each continuing atthe bottom into a longitudinal seat frame member 36. The side framemembers 34 which support the upholstery of the side members 16 are attheir lower ends interconnected by means of a transverse frame member 38to which the rear legs 40 of the chair are secured. At their upper partsthe side frame members 34 are interconnected partly by means of a curvedframe list 42, partly by means of a traverse 44. The piece of hessian 32of the upholstery for the neck cushion 14 is stretched between the framelist 42 and the traverse 44, the foam rubber layer 30 and the cover 32are secured to the lower side or the rear side of the traverse 44 aswell as to the rear side of the frame list 42 from which only the cover32 continues downwardly to the transverse frame member 38 to which it issecured, so that the cover covers the rear side of the chair.

As appears from FIG. 1 the seat frame members 36 are interconnected alsoat their front ends by means of a traverse 46 to which the front legs 48of the chair are secured.

The side frame members 34, the transverse frame member 38 and thetraverse 44 define between them a square opening, see FIG. 3, withinwhich the back support 18 is arranged.

The back support 18 comprises a frame consisting of two side frame bars50, at the top interconnected by means of a curved transverse frame bar52, and at the bottom interconnected by a transverse frame bar 54.

When the back support frame 5t 52, 54 has been upholstered, it isinserted in the opening 43 and at its upper part pivotably connected tothe side frame members 34. For this purpose, in the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 a pivot pin 56 is from the inner side ofeach side frame bar 50 through a previously formed through hole 58 inthe side frame bar 50 pressed into a likewise previously formed hole 6t)in the adjoining side frame member 34.

At its lower end the back support 18 is adjustably connected to the backframe 34, 38, 42, 44-, preferably by means of an adjustment device whichcan be set by the person who is going to sit in the chair.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 this adjustability is obtainedin the following manner:

On the rear side of the lower transverse frame bar 54 an adjustment rod62 is arranged displaceably in its transverse direction and extending inthe longitudinal direction of the transverse frame bar 54. The rod 62 isguided in longitudinal holes 64, see FIG. 4, in the two side frame bars50 through which holes 64 the rod 62 is passed. The rod 62 extends ateither side of the back spa /333s support frame, and each end thereof isin its lower position able to engage a fitting 66, see FIG. 6, securedto the inner side of the adjoining side frame member 34, preferably in ashort distance from the inner side of the latter. The upper edge of eachfitting 66 is provided with a number of notches, in the embodiment shownwith two such notches 68 and 70, one of which the adjoining end of therod 62 engages when the rod assumes its lower position.

The rear notch 68 is found by a vertical rear edge '72 and a front edge74 which is inclined upwardly and forwardly. When the rod 62 engages therear notch 68 will abut the vertical edge 72 and thereby prevent adisplacement of the back support 18 rearwards. Provided now the backsupport 18 is drawn forwards, for example thereby that a hand is pressedinto the space between the seat and the lower edge of the back support13, said lower edge is gripped by the fingers, and the hand then ismoved forward, the rod 30 will move upwards along the edge 74 of thenotch 68 out of engagement with this notch. After a short furtherforward movement of the back support 18, the rod will engage thefollowing notch, which in the embodiment shown is the foremost notch'70. This notch is at the rear side as well as at the front side boundby vertical edges 74 and 76 respectively, so that the back support 18 issecurely held in its foremost position defined by the foremost notch'70.

When later on the back support 18 has to be swung backwards to itsrearmost position it is necessary to lift the rod 62 out of engagementwith the notches 70. This may be done by the fingers of a hand being putin under the back support 18 into engagement with the rod 62, which thenis pushed upwardly.

For facilitating this operation, as appears from FIGS. 2 and 4, the rearside of the transverse frame bar 54 is approximately at the middlethereof provided with an incision 80 extending upwards from the loweredge of the frame bar 54 to register with the rod 62. Thus, when thefingers are put in under the back support 18 opposite the incision 80,there will be no difiiculty in reaching and operating the rod 62' bymeans of the finger tips.

Further, as appears from FIG. 5, the adjustment rod 62 is provided witha cover 82 made for example of a plastic or rubber and on the outer sideprovided with longitudinal ribs 84. Hereby is obtained, partly that thefingertips will not slide upon the rod, partly that the rod causes nonoise.

When the rod 62 is pushed upwards out of engagement with the verticaledge '70 the back support 18 can be swung backwards to its rear positiondefined by the engagement of the rod 30 with the rear vertical edge '72.

Also the upper part of the back support 18 can be yieldingly supportedas appears from FIG. 7. In this embodiment an angleiron 120 is securedto the inner side of each side frame member 34 with a flange 122projecting inwardly. A forwardly extending bolt 124 is secured to theflange I22 and extends through a hole 126 in an inwardly extendingflange 1.28 of an angle-iron 130 secured to the inner side of theadjoining side frame bar 50 of the frame of the back support 18. A nut132 on the outer end of the bolt 124 prevents the flange 128 fromfalling off the bolt 124. Between the two flanges 122 and 128 a spring134 is inserted surrounding the bolt 124. By this supporting device theback support 18, although pivotally connected to the side frame members34, is able yieldingly to be displaced forwardly and backwardly even atits upper end.

It will be understood that various changes in the details andarrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustratedin order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by thoseskilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An upholstered article of furniture provided with a seat and a back,said back comprising two side members and at its upper end a neckcushion, each side member including a side frame member, said neckcushion including a transverse member interconnecting said two sideframe members, said transverse member and said two side frame membersdefining between them an opening, a back support made as a separateupholstered unit arranged in said opening, said back support comprisinga frame, said frame comprising two side frame bars and a lowertransverse frame bar interconnecting said two side frame bars, said sideframe bars having upper parts pivotably connected to said two side framemembers, said lower transverse frame bar having a rear face and a loweredge, a rod being arranged along said lower transverse frame bar at saidrear face thereof connected to said back support transverselydisplaceable upwards and downwards between at least two rod positions,each said side frame member being provided with a fitting securedthereto opposite said rod, said fitting being provided with at least oneupwardly extending abutment edge for engagement with said rod when thisrod is in one of its said two rod positions.

2. An upholstered article of furniture as stated in claim 1, saidfitting being provided with at least two upwards open notches eachdefined by a front edge and at least a rear edge, one of said rear edgesconstituting said abutment edge, said front edge of at least the rearone of said two notches being inclined upwardly and forwardly.

3. An upholstered article of furniture as stated in claim 1, said lowertransverse frame bar being provided with an incision in its said rearface, said incision extending upwardly from said lower edge of saidlower transverse frame bar to register with said rod.

4. An upholstered article of furniture as stated in claim 1, each saidside frame bar being provided with an upwardly lengthy through holedefined by two side walls, said rod extending through said holes andbeing guided by said side walls.

5. An upholstered article of furniture as stated in claim 1, said rodbeing provided with a cover made from plastic.

6. An upholstered article of furniture as stated in claim 5, said coverbeing outwardly provided with ribs.

7. An upholstered arcticle of furniture as stated in claim 1, said upperparts of said two side frame bars being connected to said two side framemembers by means of at least one spring.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,844,130 Larsen Feb. 9, 1932 1,846,548 Ganoung Feb. 23, 1932 1,912,274Hallowell May 30, 1933 2,411,063 Scott Nov. 12, 1946 2,612,939 BurdickOct. 7, 1952 2,685,327 Pi tman Aug. 3, 1954 2,750,995 Parks June 19,1956

